The legal industry has become more digital, making law firms adapt to new technological solutions. Although legal technology presents many benefits like increased efficiency and automation, incorporating it into your firm can be a challenge. It’s a big change, and leaders within your firm should use change management techniques to ensure the new process is successfully implemented. Change management is how you prepare, lead and support those who are going through a change at work.
You may already have your new solution in mind, but if you’re unsure, look for signals that indicate you should update your law firm’s technology. When it is time for new technology at your firm, first consider your peers and employees. To get everyone on board, understand how and what to communicate to the rest of your organization.
How to communicate your legal technology change
When crafting your message to your firm, there are a few key points to remember. Ensure that your communication is effective by:
- Being open, honest, and clear: Any effort to sugarcoat the situation will look like you’re trying to hide something. Instead, being straightforward as to what’s changing and why will help earn your firm’s respect.
- Communicating through the top-down: Top-down communication is starting a communication from the highest-level position and then trickling down to partners, then associates. Each higher-level position can discuss the change in more detail to those who are working beneath them. This is effective as leaders can provide more applicable details to those who directly support them.
- Considering various positions: Not all information is relevant to every position. Communicate the change to everyone on a general level but provide more specific details and resources to those that the change affects the most. This shows you’re invested in those who will experience the most change while not overwhelming others.
- Using multiple channels: Make sure information is digestible to everyone. Use emails, presentations, videos, and open Q&As to allow everyone to learn about the change in a way that’s most effective for them.
Considering these points will help ease the transition for your employees. It will also showcase your investment in them by considering their unique situation and opinions.
What to include in your communication
In addition to knowing how to communicate the change, it’s important to know what details to include in your messaging. You want your message to come across as clear and straightforward with a focus on your employees. To do that, consider the points below.
The vision
Creating a vision allows employees to better picture what their job will look like after the change. To demonstrate your vision, consider answering how the organization is currently operating, and how the new solution will change this process. Additionally, connect these points to the motivation behind the change. Employees will understand the full scope of why it’s occurring, and it will help them start to see the benefits.
The benefits
When making a change, employees want to know what’s in it for them. They will likely endure challenges when transitioning to a new solution, which will take more time and effort in addition to their usual workload. Communicating the perks for individuals and the organization will help get employees on board.
The general change process
Employees want to know exactly how their day-to-day work will be affected by this change. Explain step-by-step what will happen and when. Giving more details will help employees be more comfortable with the process since they know what to expect.
What they need to do
After outlining what will happen, make sure employees know if they need to take any specific actions. This will cause less confusion and delays in implementation. Additionally, make sure that employees should ask questions and get help when needed to relieve any stress.
Many law firms are creating change by embracing new tech solutions. Make sure you prepare, lead, and support your employees by knowing how and what to communicate during this change. Once you determine your initial plan for communicating change to your personnel, then consider tying in more specifics of your overall technological plan.
